Knowledge of Healthcare Professionals on Hepatitis B Virus Infection and Vaccination Uptake in a Tertiary Hospital in Nigeria.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Healthcare professionals (HCPs) play a key role in the prevention of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. HCPs are expected to have adequate basic knowledge of HBV and readily uptake HBV vaccination as they are a high-risk group, especially those that have direct contact with blood and/or blood products. This study was aimed at assessing the knowledge of and vaccination uptake of HBV among HCPs in a Nigerian tertiary hospital. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study in which self-administered questionnaires were used to obtain data from different categories of HCPs in a tertiary hospital. The associations between categorical variables were tested using Chi-square test and a P value of 0.05 or less was considered significant. RESULTS: A total of 355 HCPs comprising 149 medical doctors, 180 nurses and 26 laboratory scientists participated in the study. Majority (90.0%) of the respondents correctly identified blood and/or blood products transfusion, needle stick injury, sharing of sharps and vertical transmission as routes of HBV transmission. About 83.4% of the participants were aware that HBV could be transmitted through unprotected sex. However, 39.2% and 15.8% of the participants reported kissing and HBV vaccination as routes of transmission, respectively. Their knowledge and uptake of HBV vaccination was, however, good. CONCLUSION: While majority of the HCPs had good knowledge of the routes of HBV transmission, few still had misconceptions about the routes of transmission, a situation which may cause social discord in the society especially among closely related individuals and potentially result in poor uptake of the highly effective HBV vaccine.

CONTEXTE/OBJECTIFS: Les professionnels de la santé jouent un rôle clé dans la prévention de l'infection par le virus de l'hépatite B (VHB). On s'attend à ce qu'ils aient des connaissances de base suffisantes sur le VHB et qu'ils acceptent facilement la vaccination contre le VHB car ils constituent un groupe à haut risque, en particulier ceux qui sont en contact direct avec du sang et/ou des produits sanguins. Cette étude visait à évaluer les connaissances et l'acceptation de la vaccination contre le VHB parmi le personnel soignant d'un hôpital tertiaire nigérian. MÉTHODES: Il s'agit d'une étude transversale dans laquelle des questionnaires auto-administrés ont été utilisés pour recueillir des données auprès de différentes catégories de professionnels de la santé dans un hôpital tertiaire. Les associations entre les variables catégorielles ont été testées à l'aide du test du chi carré et une valeur P de 0,05 ou moins a été considérée comme significative. RÉSULTATS: Au total, 355 professionnels de la santé, dont 149 médecins, 180 infirmières et 26 laborantins, ont participé à l'étude. La majorité (90,0 %) des personnes interrogées ont correctement identifié la transfusion de sang et/ou de produits sanguins, les blessures par piqûre d'aiguille, le partage d'objets tranchants et la transmission verticale comme étant des voies de transmission du VHB. Environ 83,4 % des participants savaient que le VHB pouvait être transmis lors de rapports sexuels non protégés. Cependant, 39,2 % et 15,8 % des participants ont déclaré que le baiser et la vaccination contre le VHB étaient des voies de transmission, respectivement. Leur connaissance et leur participation à la vaccination contre le VHB étaient cependant bonnes. CONCLUSION: Alors que la majorité des professionnels de santé avaient une bonne connaissance des voies de transmission du VHB, quelques-uns avaient encore des idées fausses sur les voies de transmission, une situation qui peut causer des discordes sociales dans la société, en particulier parmi les personnes étroitement liées, et potentiellement entraîner une faible utilisation du vaccin hautement efficace contre le VHB. Mots-clés: Virus de l'hépatite B, Professionnels de la santé, Vaccination, Connaissances.

Incidence and evaluation of risk factors of microalbuminuria among diabetics and non-diabetics in Lagos; Nigeria

Contrary to African diabetic situation; clinical studies in developed countries have recognized microalbuminuria as a risk factor of renal dysfunction and pathogenic agent for deterioration of diabetes mellitus in diabetic and non-diabetic populations. This clinical understanding has enabled optimization of clinical practices that improve prognosis of diabetic management and reduce susceptibility to renal disease. This present study has investigated the incidence and risks of microalbuminuria in 115 diabetic patients aged 5 - 65 years with illness duration of 1 yr; 1 - 5 yr and 5 yr and 50 age and sex-matched non-diabetic subjects attending General Hospitals; Lagos; Nigeria. Blood pressures (SBP et DBP) and plasma levels of total cholesterol (TC); triglycerides (TAG); low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) as well as body mass index (BMI) were determined to establish associations with microalbuminuria. The incidence of microalbuminuria was found to be 22.2; 31.6and 59.1(P 0.05) among the diabetic groups; suggesting a linear relationship with the duration of diabetes in these patients. 26of non-diabetics had microalbuminuria of no significant disparity (P 0.05) when compared to diabetics of 1 yr-old duration. Multiple regression analyses indicate significant association (P 0.05) between SBP; DBP; TC; LDL-C and microalbuminuria in diabetic 5 yr. While all the atherogenic parameters except LDL-C associate strongly (P 0.05) with microalbuminuria in diabetics of 1 - 5 yr. The lipid atherogenic components minus TAG were found to relate strongly with microalbuminuria in diabetics of 1yr duration. Elevated BMI strongly predicts the risk of microalbuminuria in the non-diabetics examined

Incidence and Evaluation of Risk Factors of Microalbuminuria among Diabetics and Non-Diabetics in Lagos; Nigeria

Contrary to African diabetic situation; clinical studies in developed countries have recognized microalbuminuria as a risk factor of renal dysfunction and pathogenic agent for deterioration of diabetes mellitus in diabetic and non-diabetic populations. This clinical understanding has enabled optimization of clinical practices that improve prognosis of diabetic management and reduce susceptibility to renal disease. This present study has investigated the incidence and risks of microalbuminuria in 115 diabetic patients aged 5 - 65 years with illness duration of 1 yr; 1 - 5 yr and 5 yr and 50 age and sex-matched non-diabetic subjects attending General Hospitals; Lagos; Nigeria. Blood pressures (SBP et DBP) and plasma levels of total cholesterol (TC); triglycerides (TAG); low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) as well as body mass index (BMI) were determined to establish associations with microalbuminuria. The incidence of microalbuminuria was found to be 22.2; 31.6 and 59.1 (P 0.05) among the diabetic groups; suggesting a linear relationship with the duration of diabetes in these patients. 26 of non-diabetics had microalbuminuria of no significant disparity (P 0.05) when compared to diabetics of 1 yr-old duration. Multiple regression analyses indicate significant association (P 0.05) between SBP; DBP; TC; LDL-C and microalbuminuria in diabetic 5 yr. While all the atherogenic parameters except LDL-C associate strongly (P 0.05) with microalbuminuria in diabetics of 1 - 5 yr. The lipid atherogenic components minus TAG were found to relate strongly with microalbuminuria in diabetics of 1yr duration. Elevated BMI strongly predicts the risk of microalbuminuria in the non-diabetics examined